As Catholics, we have a sacramental view of the world. Creation, in its materiality, is good. For Catholics, a Church is not just a building, a paten is not just a plate, and a chalice is no mere cup. We have sacramentals, too. Around my neck I wear a chain. On that chain are blessed medals: one of Mary's Immaculate Heart and Jesus' Sacred Heart, Saint Mary Magdalene, and Venerable Matt Talbot. I also always carry a Rosary in my pocket. These are not just ordinary objects. They are sacamentals, means through which God channels grace. I also have a Saint Benedict medal on my nightstand, in my den, and both my working offices.
As a deacon, when I bless a Rosary, a medal, a statue, or other appropriate items, I always pray that it will be a channel of God's grace for the one who wears, carries, sees, and/or uses it.
2 November is the Feast of All Souls. All Souls is Roman Catholic Memorial Day, the day we remember our beloved dead, pray for them, and pray for all the souls in Purgatory- something we don't do enough. This also includes seeking indulgences.
In any case, tonight is Halloween. Have some fun. No need to go dark to do this. Always remember, by virtue of your baptism, your confirmation, your belonging to the communio sanctorum, "... you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness" (1 Thessalonians 5:5).
Trying to pick the pieces of a fragmented year, the late Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London," performed by Adam Sandler, is a Καθολικός διάκονος Halloween traditio:
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